Following a triple overtime win Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavs are just one game away from playing in the NBA Finals. Throughout the playoffs, Cavs role player Matthew Dellavedova has developed a name for himself.
The Aussie is being accused of being a dirty player because of thee incidents that have taken place in the playoffs.
The first play happened in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals between the Cavs and Bulls. Dellavedova and Taj Gibson got tangled up. Dellavedova laid on the floor, and grabbed Gibson’s leg. Gibson attempted to untangle himself, but the refs thought he was trying to kick Dellavedova. Gibson received a flagrant 2 foul, and was ejected from the game. Cavs won 106-101.
The second play occurred in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Dellavedova dove for a loose ball, and landed on Kyle Korver’s leg awkwardly bending it. Korver was seen limping and hobbling around afterwards. Cavs won 94-82.
Korver suffered an ankle injury and was ruled out for the rest of the playoffs. His injury will reportedly require surgery, and he could be out 4-6 months.
The third play happened Sunday night, during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Dellavedova and Hawks big man Al Horford were battling for a rebound. Dellavedova fell onto Horford’s leg, with Horford retaliating by elbowing Dellavedova. Cavs won 114-111 in overtime.
Horford was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. Dellavedova was given a technical foul. Horford later said he wasn’t sure if Dellavedova purposely went at him, but that he (Horford) should’ve
handled the moment better.
Lebron says that talk of his teammate being a dirty player is overstated.
“In Game 2, when (Pero) Antic two‑hand shoves me out of the air. The fact that I’m still playing, we don’t talk about it, but he two‑hand shoves me in the air,” James said. “So what are we really talking about?
“Are we going to talk about us trying to win basketball games or about those guys trying to figure out a way that Matthew Dellavedova is this type of … this guy, he works his tail off every single day. He beats the odds, and he comes to play as hard as he can every single night. If they’re focused on Delly, then they’re focused on the wrong thing.
“I’m a little bit off about it because this is my guy, this is my teammate, and this is a guy that goes out and works his tail off every single night, and people are trying to give him a bad rap. He doesn’t deserve it, and I don’t like it.”
Is Dellavedova just the latest NBA player to take on the role as agitator/enforcer, or is he a dirty player?
Jill MunroeJill Munroe is a Los Angeles-based host, producer, and writer. You can find her work on sites such as FoxSports.com, EURweb.com, and MSN.com. Munroe is a current member of the African-American Film Critics Association and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Munroe has also been a frequent guest on ESPN radio and Yahoo Sports. In 2015, Munroe released her first book, "PostGame Pass: access into "the life"
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